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The current outbreak of Ebola in west Africa is
both a public health emergency of international
concern and a human tragedy.
Level one alert on Ebola – South
Pacific Division
Information
on Ebola and
precautionary measures
Ebola virus
 The
Ebola virus causes an acute, serious
illness which is often fatal if untreated.
 The most severely affected countries are:
Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. These
country have very weak health systems,
lacking human and infrastructural resources.
 However Ebola has now spread to other
countries of the world like the US and Spain.
Death
rate is up
to 90%
Ebola virus
This is a true
picture of the
Ebola Virus
Antwerp
Institute of
Tropical
Medicine in
Antwerp,
Belgium.
The Ebola virus
 Ebola
belongs to the virus family Filoviridae ans includes
3 genera: Cuevavirus, Marburgvirus, and Ebolavirus.
There are 5 species that have been identified: Zaire,
Bundibugyo, Sudan, Reston and Taï Forest. The first 3,
Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus, and Sudan
ebolavirus have been associated with large outbreaks
in Africa. The virus causing the 2014 west African
outbreak belongs to the Zaire species.
Transmission
 It
is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae
family are natural Ebola virus hosts. Ebola is
introduced into the human population through
close contact with the blood, secretions, organs
or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as
chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest
antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in
the rainforest.
Transmission
Ebola
then spreads through human-tohuman transmission via direct contact
(through broken skin or mucous membranes)
with the blood, secretions, organs or other
bodily fluids of infected people, and with
surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding,
clothing) contaminated with these fluids.
Transmission
People
remain infectious as long as their
blood and body fluids, including semen
and breast milk, contain the virus. Men who
have recovered from the disease can still
transmit the virus through their semen for
up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness.
Symptoms of Ebola disease
Symptoms of Ebola virus disease

The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with
the virus to onset of symptoms is 2 to 21 days.

Humans are not infectious until they develop symptoms.

First symptoms are the sudden onset of fever fatigue, muscle pain,
headache and sore throat.

This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired
kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and
external bleeding (e.g. oozing from the gums, blood in the stools).

Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet
counts and elevated liver enzymes.
Diagnosis
 It
can be difficult to distinguish ebola viral disease from other
infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever and meningitis.
Confirmation that symptoms are caused by Ebola virus infection
are made using the following investigations:
 antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
 antigen-capture detection tests
 serum neutralization test
 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay
 electron microscopy
 virus isolation by cell culture.
Treatment and vaccines
 Supportive
care-rehydration with oral or intravenous
fluids- and treatment of specific symptoms, improves
survival. There is as yet no proven treatment available for
Ebola disease.
 However,
a range of potential treatments including
blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies
are currently being evaluated.
 No
vaccines against Ebola
Prevention and control – very
important
Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of
interventions:

namely case management,

surveillance and contact tracing,

a good laboratory service,

Immediate and safe burials

Community engagement is key to successfully controlling
outbreaks. Raising awareness of risk factors for Ebola infection
and protective measures that individuals can take is an effective
way to reduce human transmission.
Risk reduction messaging should focus
on several factors:

Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or
monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat. Animals should be handled with
gloves and other appropriate protective clothing. Animal products (blood and meat) should
be thoroughly cooked before consumption.

Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission from direct or close contact with people
with Ebola symptoms, particularly with their bodily fluids. Gloves and appropriate personal
protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand
washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at
home.

Outbreak containment measures including prompt and safe burial of the dead, identifying
people who may have been in contact with someone infected with Ebola, monitoring the
health of contacts for 21 days, the importance of separating the healthy from the sick to
prevent further spread, the importance of good hygiene and maintaining a clean
environment.
Prevention – the only option at present
Consider the four realities below:
 High
risk of human-to-human transmission
 High rate of morbidity and mortality among
infected people – up to 90%
 Lack of specific therapeutic drugs or FDAapproved vaccine to address Ebola
 Prevention: the only option available at the
present time
Prevention
There
are still no recorded cases of Ebola
in Australia, NZ or the South Pacific
But
take note of the following general
information on prevention
Personal Protection
Practice careful hygiene.
 Wash hands regularly - with soap and water or an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer
 Avoid
direct contact with blood, saliva, vomit,
urine and other bodily fluids
If you are travelling to an Ebola outbreak country,
consider the following precautionary measures…….
Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an
infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes,
bedding, needles, and medical equipment).
 Avoid funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body of
someone who has died from Ebola.
 Avoid contact with bats and nonhuman primates or blood,
fluids, and raw meat prepared from these animals.
 Avoid facilities in West Africa where Ebola patients are being
treated. The embassy or consulate is often able to provide
advice on facilities.
 After you return, monitor your health for 21 days and seek
medical care immediately if you develop a fever.

Fruit bat
Fruit bat is one of
the major culprits
for hosting and
transmitting
Ebola virus.
Ebola Virus – bush meat
Bushmeat is one
of the vectors for
the Ebola
spread. The raw
meat of squirrels,
bats, antelopes,
monkeys and
porcupines, all of
which can be
found on West
African menus
can carry the
disease:
Ebola disease
Bleeding
into the
skin
Condition that leads to spread of
disease
Ebola virus - Sick patient
Ebola Virus – sick patient
Man being
treated
through given
fluids:
Doctor studies live
culture of Ebola
virus in an effort to
come up with a
treatment strategy/
valid vaccination
against this deadly
viral disease
Information source: WHO
Produced by
Adventist Health Ministries
South Pacific Division